CNN poll: Democrats face declining enthusiasm gap; another shows Griffin leading Snyder in AR-2

More bad news for the left:

Washington (CNN) – Democrats face a growing enthusiasm gap in this year’s battle for Congress, according to a new national poll.

The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Friday also indicates Americans are split in their choice for Congress in November’s midterm elections, with Republicans making gains at the Democrats’ expense.

Forty-nine percent of Republicans questioned in the poll say they’re extremely or very enthusiastic about voting this year, up 6 points from November. Thirty-one percent of Democrats say they’re enthusiastic, down 11 points.

“Democrats face a huge ‘enthusiasm gap,’ and that gap is growing,” says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. “But the poll indicates that roughly half of all registered voters may change their minds between now and Election Day, so there is plenty of time for the playing field to change.”

According to the survey, 48 percent of registered voters say they would vote for the Republican candidate for Congress, with 45 percent saying they’d back the Democrat. The 3-point edge for the GOP is within the poll’s sampling error – but it’s a switch from November, when the Democrats held a 50 to 44 percent advantage. The generic ballot question asked respondents if they would vote for a Democrat or Republican in their congressional district, without naming any specific candidates.

“That 3-point difference doesn’t sound too bad for the Democrats, but the party’s numbers are boosted by high levels of support in districts that the GOP has no chance of winning this year,” says Holland. “In safe Democratic districts, the Dems have a 21-point advantage over the GOP.”

The poll paints a different picture in more competitive districts, those where the incumbent won with less than 55 percent of the vote in 2008. In those districts, the poll indicates Democrats are currently facing a 27-point deficit, with 59 percent of registered voters in the competitive districts now saying they would vote for the Republican candidate for U.S. House if the election were held tomorrow, and only 32 percent that they would choose the Democratic candidate.

In other election-related news, a new survey out shows incumbent Democrat Congressman Vic Snyder (AR-2) trailing his Republican opponent and Iraq war veteran Tim Griffin by 23%:

If there were an election for US House of Representatives today, and the only two candidates on the ballot were Democrat Vic Snyder and Republican Tim Griffin, who would you vote for?

Vic Snyder (D) 39%
Tim Griffin (R) 56%
Undecided 5%

Do you approve or disapprove of the job Barack Obama is doing as President?

Approve 33%
Disapprove 63%
Not Sure 4%

Assume Vic Snyder votes to pass the version of the health care law that DOES require every American to carry private health insurance. If there were an election for US House of Representatives and the only two candidates on the ballot were Democrat Vic Snyder and Republican Tim Griffin, who would you vote for?

Vic Snyder (D) 35%
Tim Griffin (R) 58%
Undecided 7%

It’s shaping up to be a verrrry interesting and intriguing election year and one that not many of us predicted would look so bad for the left so early into to our celebrity President’s term.

Buckle your seat belts, ladies and gents – it’s gonna be a bumpy 2010 as the left pulls out all the stops in order to retain their Congressional majorities. Let’s just hope the GOP, for once, doesn’t scew up the opportunities that have presented themslves.

Stay tuned.